Ring Finger
by Bulelo
Summary: Slight AU: The cave was not Burke's end. Found collapsed on the outskirts of Nautilus harbor, Burke is on the road to recovery. However, there's a catch: he has no recollection of who he is, or who Jett is. Now Jett is faced with one of the toughest situations of her life. If she could learn to hate him, certainly she could also learn to love him...or was that really the problem?


**A/N: **I have returned with the promised Jett story! :D This actually took me a while because of writer's block and actually going through with the job advancement quest for Jett. The quotes in this chapter are actually from that very quest, hehe. I HAVE TOO MANY FEELS! I'm planning to make this a short series. Feel free to correct my mistakes, and without further adieu, chapter one!

**Note: **slight AU, motherly Kyrin, and emotional Jett

_******Disclaimer:** __I don't own Maplestory or the cover picture by cforsythe on DA, but I do own my ideas, love for the characters, and writing._

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_**The Broken Aliens **_

"She hasn't eaten anything in days."

"Not even Tangyoon's specialty noodles?"

"Not even those!"

"Give her some more time, boys. She'll come around. I don't think she's ready to see that redhead."

Golden lashes fluttered up in the dim lighting. From the sliver of white creeping through the circular window on the opposite wall, Jett assumed it was midday. She steadied her position on the bunk bed, arm hanging over the edge. Arrays of whispers were heard from behind the slightly opened door: concerned protests, casual comments, and upsetting complaints.

Jett pursed her lips and shifted onto her abdomen. She couldn't remember the last time she had been so _tired_, so unwilling to be productive. Not that she was ever the best at blocking procrastination, it was always Burke who—

Jett tasted blood, having unconsciously bitten her lower lip before she let her head dejectedly melt into a pillow. She struggled to keep the tears back.

_No, I will not cry for him. Not now, not ever. _

To occupy herself, she pulled her long hair to one side and fixed her bangs. She drew lock by lock away from her face, watching them glisten despite the lack of light. Her emotions were as debatable as her hair color, and they frustrated her to no end. She closed her deep turquoise eyes, eyebrows knitting together.

_"All my life, I walked in your shadow."_

Jett twisted onto her back and pressed her palms into her eyelids. Her breath came out as ragged gusts. His voice reverberated in her ears, tugging at her heartstrings as if it was preparing for a morose puppet show, in which Jett was in the limelight.

_"I wanted to go back…to the way things used to be…when all we needed was…each other…"_

Her eyes flew open. She was finally snapping, and gradually caved in to the melancholy, feeling sick to her stomach as the tears came.

"You look absolutely awful."

Jett's reflexes kicked in as she swung her arm in alarm at the sound. The person caught her limb faster and set it back on the mattress. Jett looked up at the Captain of Nautilus, who regarded her with a crooked smile. "Good to see your strength back," Kyrin commented. Her hat had been discarded onto a nearby chair as she tied up her wavy hair. It made her appearance more youthful and energetic, which stirred something inside of the bounty hunter. Kyrin paced over to the window, opening it further and momentarily blinding Jett.

"I can't handle all that credit," she replied, sitting up. _I can't handle anything._

Jett heard a _creak_ sound beside her and found Kyrin sitting a little too close for comfort. The pirate could've passed as a statue with her still form and unwavering gaze on Jett. "You've been thinking about him, haven't you?"

Jett flushed indignantly. "N-no I haven't."

"Then why are you still cooped up here? Why haven't you gone to visit him?"

The bounty hunter fell silent, her thoughts racing at the question. She gave a practiced answer, "He doesn't need me anymore. He never has."

"Were you practicing that in the mirror or something?"

"Kyrin, I—"

"Now listen," Kyrin interrupted, her gaze hardening. "The crew's worried about you, so don't just mope around. You've got everything backwards anyhow."

"What do you mean 'backwards'?"

"He needs you more than ever, Jett," Kyrin said. "Rolonay says he might not wake up unless something triggers it."

Jett visibly stiffened and lowered her head.

_"I hated your power, not you."_

"I'll…go visit him later," Jett murmured at last, torrents of held back tears rolling down her cheeks. Kyrin produced a handkerchief out of thin air, and affectionately rubbed at Jett's face with a grin. This was so uncharacteristic of her that Jett couldn't contain a giggle.

"That's what I wanted to hear," the Pirate Queen chirped, throwing the cloth onto Jett's lap and patting the younger girl's head. "Tangyoon's making cake right now. Would you like to accompany me?"

Jett peered up, and, after making up her mind, tentatively stood up.

"I'll go."

—

_Tick…tock…tick…_

The lone clock on the wall read ten-fifteen, the time Jett had decided to sneak into Burke's room. There was no light source, but Jett had honed her night vision due to her journey across Maple World.

She pulled up a small chair and took a seat at his bedside. Her eyes were trained on the slow rise and fall of his chest, and gradually traveled up to his face.

She found herself bringing a hand up to smooth out his dark eyebrows. "Always the sound sleeper, you yellow-bellied toad."

No awkward feelings hung in the air, to Jett's surprise. She figured that even setting eyes on her old partner would cause her to scream and run away. After all, that was her initial reaction when Bart and Cutter hauled Burke in a week ago; an unconscious, beaten, bloody young man with deep fuchsia locks.

His hair was longer now, and though they were the same age, it was as if Burke had grown up without Jett. Then again, he had done a lot of things without her. She stopped teasing his bangs and let her head rest on the blue spreadsheets. "Why did you have to come back now? I thought…I thought you were dead, stupid."

She let that insulting thought trail off as she fell asleep.

_Welcome back._

—

He was silent sitting up, arching his back before rising, like his father had taught him during training. Red eyes quickly adjusted to the dark and found what they were looking for. Before lifting her up and bringing her completely to his side, he let his hand longingly run through her gold hair. He mused to himself how different she looked. Had it been too long?

Her warm exhaling tickled his cheek as he drew the blanket over her sleeping form. It was then that, in the cover of night, he leaned in to place a kiss on her forehead.

"I'm home," he breathed, pulling her against him. She smelled of dewdrops and forget-me-nots, and the irony hit him hard. With his face buried in the crook of her neck, he allowed a dreamless sleep to take him away.

Because he knew that when the date rolled over, he would no longer remember her or this love.

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**Oh god the feels are kicking in. I hope you are up for another chapter when I can update. Reviews are appreciated like always, as well as some love for Jett. Stay tuned, and see you again!**


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